Gas shut off in Leonville until Thursday

People who use it for cooking or heating their water will have to figure out alternatives through Thursday.

Town manager Bobby Degueyter on Tuesday ordered crews to lock the gas meters for all 365 customers of the Leonville Gas System. The reason: Contractors working with a pipeline company accidentally shut down the gas supply to a regulator station.

In response, emergency crews will go house to house locking and tagging gas meters so customers won’t be able to turn on the gas supply to their appliances.

There’s no immediate danger, Degueyter said, but as a precaution the system must purge the air from its lines before he can declare that it is safe.

He urged home and business customers not to open the locks or try to cut them off. “If there’s air in the gas line, somebody could think cook, think they’ve turned off the burner and go to sleep with gas still coming into the house,” he said.

Customers with special needs — such as older residents of Leonville — should notify the town manager’s office. Degueyter said they’ll get priority when crews unlock and untag the meters.

The gas system experienced a similar problem 25 years ago, and the town handled it without incident, he said.

“I regret the inconvenience,” Degueyter said. “The only good part about it is that it’s not cold.”

People with concerns or questions about the gas shutoff may call 337-879-0035 during business hours or 337-356-4339 after hours.